Excerpt from "Beyond the Rain" by Jess Granger

Cyani pried open a dead laser lock with her flick knife and crept into the dim interior of the slave cells. The large stone blocks closed in around her, making her shudder. She stilled, waiting, watching. Water dripped on stone. The soft plink-plink echoed in the empty hall. With silent caution she crept farther down the passage.

K-bombs echoed outside like thunder but seemed distant from the interior of the small stone fortress. She set her com to high alert and scanned her surroundings. Cyani snuck along the walls to the cell door and turned the heavy latch. Pulling the door open with all her strength, she peered inside.

Warning, humanoid life-form encountered.

She flicked her holo-map off, so her eyes could adjust to the dim light.

Cyani stared in awestruck horror at the naked man chained to the wall. She felt her heart race as her stomach clenched in outrage and disgust.

Slave bands dug into his arms, waiting to inject him with whatever torturous poisons the Garulen needed to keep him submissive. As if that weren’t enough to control him, chains bound his hands and feet so tightly that the cuffs dug into his blood-caked skin. Severe-blinders hooked into his temples, and his toned back and chest bore deep, ugly contusions from a recent beating. Though lean, he seemed in prime physical condition, not starved like most slaves. His knuckles swelled with open cuts and bruises, as if he had done some damage in retaliation during that beating. In spite of everything, an aura of power and menace clung to him.

What was he capable of? She crept closer to the wall, inching toward him. Her hand hovered over her weapon. She couldn’t forget he was dangerous, a crouched wild beast wary and ready to strike.

Her heart raced, and Cyani felt a tingle rushing through her arms as her mind fought back the memory of lying beaten on the floor, listening to the mob chant in the halls.

She forced the dark echoes from her mind and focused on him. Who was she dealing with? What did they use him for? Was he a pit fighter? Or worse?

He clenched his jaw but remained silent. He watched her, even though she was certain he could see nothing through the smooth black plates covering his eyes.